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Theater History and Mysteries

Theater History and Mysteries

Author: Dr. Jon Bruschke, PhD

Subscribed: 9,890Played: 13,545
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I take a musical theater production and do a deep dive to find a richer understanding about the lessons the show has for theater and life.  And, I’ll never miss an opportunity to pursue any mystery, bizarre coincidence, improbable event, or supernatural suggestion along the way because, in the words of Dirk Gentley, it is all connected.

Released every other Tuesday.  Coming release dates are Jan 28, Feb 11, Feb 25, Mar 11, Mar 25, April 8.

Music by Jon Bruschke and Andrew Howat, arranged, performed, and recorded by Andrew Howat.

9 Episodes
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Send us a text This episode covers 5 real historical figures that helped inspire the novel, and a whirlwind plot summary of the original Victor Hugo novel. Errata: For some reason I kept referring to the character Marius as "Marcus" -- please just skip that. Here's a link to the image of the Bishop's plaque, identifying that character in the novel is based on the actual Bishop of Deign. Introduction Against the odds, an early draft of Les Miserables made it out of Paris, with i...
Send us a textIt's ​1860, ​and ​Victor ​Hugo, ​having ​taken ​to ​the ​barricades ​against ​the ​hated ​Louis ​Napoleon, ​has ​escaped ​Paris ​with ​a ​price ​on ​his ​head. ​And ​his ​mistress, ​not ​his ​wife, ​has ​successfully ​smuggled ​both ​he ​and ​his ​unfinished ​manuscripts ​out ​of ​France. ​But ​now ​he's ​in ​exile, ​living ​in ​an ​island ​off ​the ​French ​coast ​but ​under ​British ​control. ​How ​is ​he ​going ​to ​get ​his ​masterwork ​published? ​And ​as ​the ​text ​comes ...
Send us a text It’s 1848 and there is yet another violent transfer of power going on in France. One of its greatest citizens – both a member of the legislative body and the Legion of Honor, has been in hiding for 9 days with a price on his head. If he’s found by the wrong people he will surely be killed. He is an author and he does have a pile of manuscripts he’s working on, but first he’s got to get out of France. How did he do it? Was he the hero who saved the ...
Send us a text Errata For some reason I keep calling Andrew Lloyd-Webber Andrew Lloyd-Wright, which is weird because I know nothing about architecture. Anyway, the author of Phantom of the Author is Andrew Lloyd-Webber, not Andrew Lloyd-Wright. Together, however, I feel they would make a spectacular opera house. Intro: On Oct 13, 2016 the Phantom of the Opera is scheduled to open in the Mogador Theater. The narrative is, of course, set in the majestic, surreal, very gothi...
Send us a text It’s the fall of 1923, and Lon Chaney Sr. has just starred in a smash hit based on Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. There is going to be a follow-up show, and it is going to be a hit. But who’s idea was it? And why will that matter to the critical reception of a musical that won’t come out for another 80 years? Flash forward two years, and now It’s the summer of 1925. Universal Pictures has invested a pile of money in a new movie, but there’s a war...
Send us a text This is EPISODE 4. The next episode, EPISODE 5, will drop on December 16. It’s 1786, and a male ballet dancer (“Dahn- sir”) and ballerina both dance at the Paris opera house, and the man falls in love with the woman. But so does a solider, and in the love triangle the dahn-sir is killed. With his dying breath he asks that he be buried in the opera house to be near his love in death if not in life, and his bones are later used as props in theater productions. ...
Send us a text In the early 1970s and a writer for plays, movies, and television is holed up in Palm Springs at one of the most unusual restaurants in operation. There was a sole proprietor, the menu has one dish, and there is no advertising or tourists because there are only 4 tables. The topic of conversation is whether to turn a stage play into a musical, and the server, cook, owner, and sole employee is also a psychic. The cook is consulted about the project and predic...
Send us a text This is the story of how one of the greatest books ever written, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, became one of the most successful musicals in broadway history, which of course was The Man from La Mancha by Dale Wasserman. The year is 1579, and a solider being held in an Algerian prison, and he’s about to make his 4th, and failed, attempt to escape. And this is only one of a multitude of life mishaps that makes it very unlikely the solider even survived. And it...
Send us a text Thank you to the fan from Los Angeles who writes: "Hi. I've been enjoying your Cervantes podcast but unless the show on Broadway that was made from the book by Cervantes turned it into a spy story, the proper title of the musical is "Man of La Mancha." Not the man and not from." All true, I can only identify this as errata. This is the story of how one of the greatest books ever written, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, became one of the most successful musicals i...